Heddle frames



1955 F. H. KAUFMANN 3,209,788

HEDDLE FRAMES Filed Jan. '7. 1964 HM IWr H. KA UFMA/V/V 9 LOW ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,209,788 HEDDLE FRAMES Frank H. Kaufmann, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., assignor to Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 336,194 8 Claims. (Cl. 139-92) This invention relates to heddle frames for looms and it relates more particularly to improved means for securing and supporting the ends of the heddle supporting rods in the frames.

Various means for supporting and securing the ends of heddle supporting rods have heretofore been suggested, and many of these have been found to be satisfactory under certain conditions, and in connection with certain types of frames.

The means heretofore employed for securing and supporting the ends of the heddle supporting rods in the frames, in many instances, reduced the available space between the side struts for the reception of the heddles so that full utilization of the width of the heddle frame was not possible.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide, in loom heddle frames, improved means for supporting and securing the ends of the rods upon which the heddles are mounted and with which the full width of the harness frame can be effectively utilized.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a heddle frame with means for supporting the ends of the heddle supporting rods whereby the ends of said rods may be quickly and easily detached from the frame at the ends thereof for the purpose of adding or removing heddles on the rods, and with which only a single latch or lock is required.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a heddle frame with the heddle supporting bars free from obstructions at the ends thereof so that free movement of the heddles along the heddle bars can be effected over the entire lengths of the heddle bars.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a heddle frame with the heddle supporting bars free from obstructions at the ends thereof and with additional space for freedom of movement of the warp carrying eyes of the heddles on the heddle bars.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a heddle frame in which the heddle supporting bars has an improved resilient lock by a locking lever which extends along the heddle bar, which is free from likelihood of accidental release, and which can be released in a simple manner.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a loom harness frame having therein means embodying the main features of the present invention for supporting and securing the ends of the heddle supporting rods;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view, enlarged, of the heddle frame, as seen from the right side of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 44 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the details of the heddle bar lock.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawing herein are illustrative merely, and that vari- 3,209,788 Patented Oct. 5, 1965 ous modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is therein shown a preferred form or embodiment of the invention, in which the heddle frame proper comprises top and bottom rails 10 connected at their ends by struts 11. The top and bottom rails 10 are preferably made of hollow extruded shapes of aluminum or rriagnesium alloys, with an inwardly extending longitudinally disposed flange portion 12.

The struts 11 can be of any desired construction and of any preferred material but as shown are preferably of compressed wood, with cut outs 13 at each end to provide extended central lengths 14 of the struts 11 of lesser width than the ends, thereby to add to the available interior space therebetween.

The struts 11 can be secured to the top and bottom rails 10 in any desired manner, such as by screws 15.

The struts 11 at spaced locations and at predetermined locations above and below the lower margins of the flange portions 12 have aligned openings 16 for the reception of the ends of heddle supporting rods 17.

The rods 17 have slidably mounted thereon heddles 18 of any desired type, but preferably like those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of Patent No. 2,047,511, and with warp eyes 19 intermediate their ends.

The flange portions 12 inwardly of one end of the top and bottom rails 10 have a resilient strip secured thereto at one end thereof in any desired manner such as by rivets 21. The strips 20 extend horizontally along the flange portions 12 in diverging relation thereto and have retaining ends 22 disposed normal to the main portions of the strips 20. The ends 22 are received in slots or apertures 23 in the heddle rods 17 and prevent longitudinal movement of the heddle rods 17. The strips 20 are of a height or vertical dimension so as not to interfere with the free movement of the heddles along the rods 17.

The heddle rods 17 in spaced relation to the apertures 23 have longitudinal release apertures 24 for the insertion of the bit of a screwdriver or the like so that the retaining ends 22 can be moved out of the apertures 23 thereby freeing the rods 17 for slidable movement for mounting or removing heddles 18.

It will be noted that the heddle rods 17 are held against longitudinal movement with their ends in the openings 16 with free movement permitted of the ends of the heddles 18 along the heddle rods 17. The warp eyes 19 by reason of the formation of the side struts 11 have even greater freedom of sidewise movement.

By the foregoing arrangement there is provided a simple but effective mounting for the heddle: rods 17 with freedom of movement of the heddles 18 and increased capacity both at the ends and at the warp eyes. The insertion and removal of the heddle rods 17 may be readily effected while during use the heddle rods 17 are well supported and held against displacement.

I claim:

1. In a heddle frame having longitudinally extending rods upon which the heddles are mounted, the means for securing and supporting the ends of said heddle rods in the frame which consists in providing aligned openings for the reception of the ends of the heddle rods, each of the heddle rods spaced inwardly from an end and intermediate the top and bottom edges thereof having a slot, said frame having for each heddle rod a horizontally movable resilient member carried by the frame extending longitudinally of one side of the heddle rod between the top and bottom edges of the rod with a horizontally swingable end engaged in said slot.

2. A heddle frame as defined in claim 1 in which said frame has top and bottom rails, and said resilient members are carried by said rails.

3. A heddle frame as defined in claim 1 in which said frame has top and bottom rails each with an inwardly extending flange portion and said resilient members are secured to said flange portions.

4. A heddle frame as defined in claim 1 in which each of said resilient members is a strip, and said strips are each secured at an opposite end to a portion of the frame.

5. A heddle frame as defined in claim 1 in which said heddle rods in spaced relation to said slots have release apertures for operating access to said resilient members.

6. A heddle frame having top and bottom rails, side struts secured to said rails, said side struts having upper and lower pairs of aligned heddle rod receiving openings parallel to the rails, heddle rods having their ends slidable in said openings, said rails each having inwardly disposed mounting portions, a resilient member for each of said heddle rods, each of said resilient members including a strip mounted at one end on one of said mounting portions and extending longitudinally with respect to one of said heddle rods intermedate the top and bottom margins thereof, the other ends of said resilient members projecting from the main portion of the strip and being horizontally movable, and each of said heddle rods having intermediate the top and bottom margins thereof a 4% slot for engagement therein of said other ends for preventing longitudinal movement of said heddle rods.

7. A heddle frame as defined in claim 6 in which said mounting portions are flanges on said rails.

8. A heddle frame as defined in claim 6 in which said side struts have the central portions thereof with a greater distance therebetween than at the rails to permit sidewise movement of warp eyes of heddles mounted on said heddle rods.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 726,417 4/03 Fehr 139-92 754,860 3/04 Fehr et al. 13992 2,614,586 10/52 Kaufmann 13992 2,982,313 5/61 Kaufmann 13988 FOREIGN PATENTS 521,448 7/53 Belgium.

834,737 8/38 France.

800,314 8/58 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A HEDDLE FRAME HAVING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RODS UPON WHICH THE HEDDLES ARE MOUNTED, THE MEANS FOR SECURING AND SUPPORTING THE ENDS OF SAID HEDDLE RODS IN THE FRAME WHICH CONSISTS IN PROVIDING ALIGNED OPENINGS FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE ENDS OF THE HEDDLE RODS, EACH OF THE HEDDLE RODS SPACED INWARDLY FROM AN END AND INTERMEDIATE T HE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES THEREOF HAVING A SLOT, SAID FRAME HAVING FOR EACH HEDDLE ROD A HORIZONTALLY MOVABLE RESILIENT MEMBER CARRIED BY THE FRAME EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF ONE SIDE OF THE HEDDLE ROD BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF THE ROD WITH A HORIZONTALLY SWINGABLE END ENGAGED IN SAID SLOT. 